Creeks Move Forward With Annual Planning Session Despite Chief Controversy

On the heels of a vote calling for Chief George Tiger's resignation, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is planning for its future.The tribe is meeting today in Broken Arrow.<br/>

Thursday, March 12th 2015, 2:05 pm

By: Tess Maune

Creeks Move Forward With Annual Planning Session Despite Chief Controversy

On the heels of a vote calling for Chief George Tiger's resignation, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is planning for its future.

The tribe is met at Northeastern State University's Broken Arrow campus on Thursday. News On 6 is the only media outlet Tiger has talked to, and he said he couldn't be at the annual planning meeting because he is with his wife, who had a chemotheraphy treatment.

The two-day conference is for the tribe to make plans for the next four years. But tribal administrators say this is not about politics, so there are no plans to discuss the National Council's Tuesday night vote to call for Tiger's resignation.

Administrative leaders said the tribe doesn't rely on just one person but all its citizens, so it is moving forward despite what's going on with Tiger.

During Thursday's session, nothing was said about the controversy surrounding Tiger, but there was mention of the progress that has been made during the chief's term.

3/2/2015 Related Story: Creek Tribal Council Asks Chief George Tiger To Resign

The controversy centers around accusations the chief signed a deal in 2009 to help a developer build a casino for the Kialegee tribe. The Muscogee National Council says that casino would compete with its River Spirit Casino.

According to the contract posted online, Tiger would get partial ownership of the company, $5,000 per month, plus a $200,000 bonus. The tribe said Tiger was a member of the tribal council when he signed the contract to help the Kialegees and he kept the deal a secret.

The council said citizens first called for the chief's removal.

“As a whole, they were disappointed and embarrassed by these actions and how it reflects on the nation,” Muscogee Nation National Council Speaker of the House Thomas Yahola said. “It makes you think other contracts the nation has executed, there might be something else that we don't know about.”

The tribal council's speaker said the letter asking for Chief's resignation was sent to Tiger's office yesterday.

Though we have asked, Tiger hasn't commented on the council's resignation request. He said he will have a statement, just not today.